TRIUMPH Complaints

TRIUMPH ROCKET III MOTORCYCLE, MFD. 2007 AND EARLIER, BUILT BEFORE VIN 337294: ENGINE FAILURES (CAMSHAFT DRIVE CHAIN TENSIONER AND SPROCKETS), TRANSMISSION FAILURES (TORSIONAL DAMPER SHAFT BEARINGS, 2-4TH GEAR BUSHINGS AND THRUST WASHERS, DETENTE ARM AND GEAR POSITION SHAFT) AND ELECTRICAL FAILURES (IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS, INSTRUMENT HARNESS, AND MAIN HARNESS CONNECTOR), EACH RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. DEFECTS ARE LISTED IN TRIUMPH "UPGRADE" LIST DISCLOSED TO DEALERS WHICH ARE APPLIED TO CONSUMERS SELECTIVELY, AND PROVIDES PARTS ONLY. ELECTRICAL FAILURE RELATES TO POWER FOR HEADLIGHTS RUNNING THROUGH IGNITION SWITCH RESULTING IN IGNITION SWITCH HEATING AND MELTING CAUSING LOSS OF HEADLIGHT OPERATION. *TR

2007 TRIUMPH ROCKET III, WITH 18000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL; FIRST GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP; DIFFICULT TO DOWN SHIFT TO FIRST AND SECOND WHILE RIDING; THIS PRESENT A HAZARD I HAD A NEAR MISS WHEN MOVING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT. TRIUMPH HAS A UPGRADE KIT DESIGN TO ADDRESS AND REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS BUT ARE REFUSING TO COVERAGE THE LABOR CHARGES. INSTEAD THE ARE PLAYING A WAITING GAME AND GAMBLING WITH MY LIFE AND HEALTH - THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT AND SERIOUS, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THEY -TRIUMPH - IS AWARE, BUT CHEAP AND APATHETIC TO US OWNER'S WELFARE. I THINK THEY ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE TREAD ACT AND OTHER DUTIES TO THE NHTSA BY NOT REPORTING THESE PROBLEMS AND ISSUING A VOLUNTARY RECALL. I MUST ASK WHAT VALUE DOES TRIUMPH PLACE ON A LIFE. *TR

2006 TRIUMPH ROCKET 3, THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF SECOND GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING. TRIUMPH HAS A TRANSMISSION UPGRADE THAT ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT FIX IT OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM CAN RESULT IN A CRASH IF THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR WHEN PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE OR WHEN MOVING FROM A STOP WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR

2003 TRIUMPH SPRINT ST, 18,000 MILES. FUEL LINE FITTING FRACTURED, SPRAYING GASOLINE UNDER PRESSURE. THE FACTORY CHOSE TO USE PLASTIC, WHEN METAL IS AVAILABLE. THE DEALER REPLACEMENT IS ALSO PLASTIC. *TR

TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR WHILE ACCELERATING. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT TRIUMPH IS CONTENT ON LETTING THEM FAIL AND THEN THE CONSUMER IS STUCK FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. THE TRIUMPH FORUMS HAVE SHOWN THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF OWNERS. IF THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN WARRANTY THEN THEY HAVE AN UPGRADE KIT THAT THEY INSTALL. HOWEVER THEY ARE PLAYING THE WAIT AND SEE GAME SO THAT THOSE OWNERS THAT HAVE THE ISSUE AFTER THE WARRANTY IS UP THEY CAN CHARGE FOR THE UPGRADE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE FAILURES CAN HAPPEN AT ANYTIME. I HAVE READ SOME OF FROM FAILING AS EARLY AS 3K MILES ALL THE WAY OUT TO 35K. TRIUMPH DECIDED TO NOT DO A RECALL AND TO GAMBLE WITH LIVES TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET ALL OF THE PRODUCTION RUNS FROM 2004 THROUGH 2006 TO BE OUT OF WARRANTY. I CONTACTED THE CLOSEST DEALER TO ME AND HE DENIED THAT THERE EVER WAS A PROBLEM. HOWEVER I GAVE HIM THE PART NUMBERS FOR THE UPGRADE KITS AND A LIST OF WHAT WAS IN THEM. HE NEVER RESPONDED AFTER THAT. THE KIT PARTS ARD LISTED BELOW: # T1000008 FOR SILVER ENGINES # T100000) FOR BLACK ENGINES PARTS LISTED AS INCLUDED IN THE KITS INCLUDE : SMALLER DETENT ARM 2NDGEAR GOES FROM 8 ENGAGING DOGS, TO 4 SPARK PLUGS CHANGES FROM DPR8EA-9 TO DPR7EA-9 NEW FUEL SENSOR NEW SEALING WASHERS FOR OIL TANK NEW CAM CHAIN GUIDE PLUS SOME MINOR WIRING PARTS THESE PARTS TAKE CARE OF 2 KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THESE MOTORCYCLES. BOTH OF THEM CAN END IN EITHER A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE (TIMING CHAIN BREAKING CAUSING TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE) AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP PROBLEM. AS AN OWNER OF ONE OF THESE BIKES I AM CONCERNED THAT IT COULD HAPPEN TO ME AND I THINK THAT TRIUMPH SHOULD FACE THE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOMEONE ACTUALLY IS HURT OR KILLED WHEN THESE ITEMS FAIL. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL FORUMS I HAVE THE INITIAL SYMPTOMS WITH THE BIKE JUMPING OUT OF 2ND GEAR WHILE ACCELERATING SO IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT WILL HAPPEN TO MY BIKE. *TR

SPOKE BROKE IN THE REAR WHEEL OF MY 2001 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE WHILE RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN HAS STARTED MAKING A RATTLE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GOING TO BREAK. AFTER GOOGLING IT I FOUND OUT THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE CHAIN BREAK CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE DESTRUCTION. SOME HAVE HAD THE MOTOR SEIZE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS IS VERY HIGH AND APPARENTLY TRIUMPH CHOOSES TO LET THE MACHINES FAIL AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES SO THAT THEY CAN CHARGE THE CONSUMER FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

THE FACTORY HEADLIGHTS AND LIGHT POSITION ON MY TRIUMPH TIGER 1050 IS DANGEROUSLY INEFFICIENT! THE LIGHTS ARE NOT POSITIONED PROPERLY OUT OF THE FACTORY AND YOU CAN NOT SEE A SAFE DISTANCE IN FRONT OF YOU. I KNOW THIS IS A BIG COMPLAINT OF ALMOST EVERY OWNER OF THIS BIKE AND YET TRIUMPH DOES NOTHING TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE TREMENDOUS SAFETY ISSUES THIS CAUSES! *TR

MY TRIUMPH TIGER 1050 HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH RELENTLESS STARTING ISSUES AND OVER HEATING ISSUES. ON THIS DAY I WENT OUT TO START THE BIKE AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I TRIED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND IT WOULD NOT START. I EVENTUALLY TOOK THE BATTERY OUT AND HOOKED IT UP TO A CHARGER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS FULLY CHARGED UP. IN THE COMING MONTHS I TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO START THE BIKE WITH A FULLY CHARGED BATTERY TO NO AVAIL. ON TODAY FEB 17, 2011 I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO LOCOMOTION MOTORSPORTS TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS THIS TIME. *TR

AS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE OVERHEATING ISSUES THAT WHERE NOT RESOLVED BY TREBOUR MOTORCYCLES I HAD MORE OVERHEATING PROBLEMS WITH FUSES BLOWING AND THE BIKE REACHING THE MAXIMUM TEMP VERY QUICKLY. ONCE THE OUTSIDE TEMPS DIPPED BELOW 70 I COULD RIDE THE BIKE WITHOUT IT OVERHEATING AND I TOOK IT TO LOCOMOTION MOTORSPORTS. THEY HAD IT FOR ALMOST A MONTH AND DID EXTENSIVE TESTS WITH IT. THEY EVEN BENCHMARKED IT AGAINST AND BRAND NEW BIKE IN THEIR SHOP AND FOUND OUT THAT MY BIKES FAN WAS COMING ON MUCH LATER THAN ON THE NEW BIKE AND RESULTING IN A HIGHER TEMP AND THEN THE SHOP WAS ABLE TO GET THE BIKE TO OVERHEAT. THEY REPLACED THE FOLLOWING PARTS: A RELAY EFI, FAN SQUARE COWL, COOLING FAN, AND COOLING FAN RELAY. (THIS IS MY 2ND REPLACEMENT FAN IN A YEAR AND 3RD TOTAL FAN INSTALLED ON THE BIKE) ALL OF THIS WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR